Aircraft crash: Navy, DGCA begin probes

Was it a bird hit, engine malfunction or the illegal highrise that caused the Pawan Sagar aircraft crash that killed two navy pilots? At least three investigation teams are trying to find the answer.

A preliminary probe by Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has disclosed that the penthouse into which the aircraft crashed and the mobile phone tower on it were illegally constructed. “The aircraft first hit the cell tower on top of the building, which is in flight zone,” a source said.

SCB, which has jurisdiction over the crash site, has constituted a three-member committee to look at the approvals given to the building. The committee would submit its report on Friday.

The director general of civil aviation (DGCA), on his part, has initiated investigation into the turn of events on March 3 in Hyderabad, where India Aviation 2010 was inaugurated.

A team of the Indian Navy too would probe the incident separately.
“There is a chance of a bird hit as the aircraft had started recovering from the formation. The other possibility is of a malfunction,” a DGCA source said. A probe team is expected to arrive in Hyderabad on Friday.

Meanwhile, the building owner, Ramesh Goud, is seeking compensation from the government.